The district name of Pathanamthitta is derived from the two words of Malayalam “Pathanam” and “Thitta” which together means an “array of houses on the river side”. The district is regarded as the pilgrimage headquarters of Kerala where the land is occupied by the spiritual aspects of life like temples, rivers, mountain ranges, coconut groves, along with various sorts of plantation of paddy, tapioca, vegetables, spices, pepper etc. Not only as the religious hub of the Kerala, Pathanamthitta is also famous for the unending stretches of forests, rivers, and rural landscape.

Location :

The geographical location of the district of Pathanamthitta is at 9.27° N 76.78° E with an average elevation of 19 metres. As one of the fourteen districts of Kerala, it is surrounded by the two districts of Kottayam and Idukki on its northern part, the district of Alappuzha on its western side, district of Kollam to its southern part and has a border with Indian state of Tamil Nadu on its eastern side.

Access :

District of Pathanamthitta is well connected by the roadways, railways and airways that make the tourists easy to travel to all the tourist place of Kerala. The brief description of Pathanamthitta is mentioned below:
Air : Cochin Airport is the nearest Airport from Pathanamthitta which is near about 152 Km and Thiruvananthapuram is 236 Km.
Rail :District of Pathanamthitta is well connected with the Indian Railways Network from where the Chengannoor Railway station is just 16 Km and Thiruvalla Railway Station is only 26 Km.
Road : District of Pathanamthitta is well connected by all parts of the country by road to Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kochi.
Local : Taxi, Buses,Auto etc..

History :

The historical importance of Pathanamthitta district lies in its evolution of an independent district from Pandalam reign to the British reign and finally the formation of the district in 1982. The district of Pathanamthitta has great contribution in the freedom movement of India where the strong protest took place in 1921 against the visit of the Prince of Wales. The freedom fighters like Elanthoor K.Kumar, Thadiyal Raghavan Pillai, Pandalam K.P and N.G. Chacko had played a significant role to liberate India from the clutches of the British Empire.

Climate:

The climate of Pathanamthitta district is conditioned by the natural divisions of the regions as the lowland, the midland and the highland. The district has more or less same climate as prevalent elsewhere in the state. The Winter Season starts from December to February and Summer Season takes place between the months of March to May.

The district of Pathanamthitta is the centre of pilgrimage attractions with its world famous Sastha temple at Sabarimala situated on the slopes of the Western Ghats. The pilgrimage begins in the month of Vruchikam (November) and ends in Makaram-Makara Samkranthi (January). The unique thing associated with this temple is that women below the 10 years and above 50 years are allowed to enter into the temple.

Sabarimala One of the most famous pilgrim centres in India, Sabarimala is situated on the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats Sabarimala is surrounded by hazardous hills like Karimala and Neelimala. Men of all ages are allowed inside the temple but women only below 10 years and above 50 years of age are permitted inside.

Fairs and Festivals :
Some of the famous fairs and festivals of Pathanamthitta are mentioned below with brief description:
Aranmula Vallmakali (Boat Race) : This festival is celebrated during the month of September which originates from the Sree Parthasarathy Temple which is also marked by the snake boat race in the afternoon.

Maramadimatsaram (Ox Race) : This is the largest annual fair of Pathanamthitta based on agriculture and cattle celebrated during the month of August.

Maramon Convention :This festival is meant for the Christians with the convention of carrying the cadjan leaves and bamboo poles to erect a huge 'pandal' on the banks of the river Pamba.

Some other festivals of Pathanamthitta are Anandapalli, Kadammanitta, Patayani, Sabarimala etc.
Tourist Attractions of Pathanamthitta

Konni (Agricultural Region) : 11 kms from Pathanamthitta, an agricultural region, Konni is rich in cash crops like rubber, pepper, coffee, ginger etc. IT is also used as a centre for training elephants.

Mannadi (folk Art Centre) : This is where Veluthampi Dalawa, the renowned freedom fighter of Travancore, spent his last days. The ancient Bhagavathy Temple here contains some interesting stone sculptures. Mannadi is also the venue of the Kerala Institute of Folklore and Folk Arts.

Muloor Smarakam (Memorial) : The memorial to Muloor, a renowned reformer and poet, is located at Elavumthitta.

Omallur (Cattle fair) : The Rakthakanta Swamy Temple and the annual cattle fair held in the Malayalam month of 'Meenam' are the main attractions of Omallur. People from all around Kerala and also many other states participate in the fair.

Charalkunnu Hill station : The picturesque hill station offers a panoramic view of the nearby valleys. A camp house on the hill provides comfortable lodging.

Perumthenaruvi : Perumthenaruvi is a famous waterfall on the banks of the River Pamba. Here, the water flows down a rocky bed into a ravine 60 to 100 feet deep. The place is a favourite picnic spot for both domestic and foreign tourists.

Vijana Kala Vedi Cultural Centre : Louba Schild, a French scholar under the Indo-French Cultural Exchange Programme, who started this centre with UNESCO support, founded this famous cultural centre.The centre offers residential training courses, in Kerala's traditional arts & crafts like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, Kalaripayattu, Music, wood carving etc

Kakki Reservoir : Tigers, elephants and monkeys can be sighted in the forest surrounding the reservoir.

River Pamba : This is the main halting point on the way to Sabarimala, the famous pilgrim centre. It is also known as 'Thriveni Sangamam', the meeting point of three rivers.

Rivers :

Three important rivers flow through this district. They are Pampa, Achankovil and Manimala rivers.